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Supporting Anxious Pupils with the Worry Story Sack
- Michael Wood
- Jun 3
- 3 min read
Updated: Jun 4
Worry can show up in classrooms in many different ways: a child who doesn’t want to join in, one who asks to go to the toilet repeatedly, or a pupil who becomes overwhelmed by small changes to routine. For children who struggle to express their anxiety, these behaviours are often misunderstood or labelled as avoidance.
At Aspire, we believe in proactive, practical tools that help children recognise, name and manage their emotions. That’s why we’ve created the Worry Story Sack—a gentle, sensory-based way to help children explore their feelings and discover strategies that support regulation and reassurance.
What’s in the Worry Sack?
Each item in the sack is chosen with care to represent different ways that worry might affect a child and to model strategies that support calmness and control.
Here’s what’s inside:
📘 Worry-Themed Story Book: A relatable starting point that helps children connect with characters who feel like they do. These books show that feeling worried is normal—and manageable.
🎧 Ear Defenders: For children whose anxiety is heightened by noise, ear defenders offer a sense of control and a calmer sensory environment.
🌀 Spinning Top: A simple tool to represent dizziness or overwhelm—ideal for talking about physical symptoms of anxiety in a safe, symbolic way.
🐍 Water Snake Toy or Wobbly Fidget: A tactile item that mimics the sensation of "jelly legs" or "butterflies in the tummy," helping children connect sensations to feelings.
🛑 STOP Sign Paddle: Helps children externalise their need to pause or signal to adults when they are beginning to feel dysregulated.
🧱 Blocks for ‘Size of the Problem’ Work: Supports visual discussion around whether a worry is small, medium or large—and what kind of response it might need.
- You will probably have lego or similar in your school
🌬️ Bubbles: A classic regulation tool used to teach slow, steady breathing. It’s visual, fun and instantly calming.
🧠 Mindfulness & Positive Thought Cards: Simple affirmations and grounding exercises that help children return to the present moment and challenge anxious thinking. You will find some printable worksheets at the bottom of the page.
Why It Works
The Worry Story Sack isn’t a quick fix—it’s a long-term resource to build emotional vocabulary, normalise worry, and offer practical strategies. Most importantly, it shows children that they are not alone in how they feel, and that adults around them understand and care.
Because the resources are visual and sensory, they’re particularly effective for:
Neurodiverse children
Pupils with limited verbal communication
KS1 and lower KS2 children who are still developing emotional language
It also supports classroom discussions and one-to-one work, helping reduce anxiety before it escalates into behavioural incidents or school refusal.
Want to Try It?
Many of these items are inexpensive or already in school—and we’ve included Amazon links for the things you don't have.
There is also a resource checklist below and downloadable sheets as ideas for your mindfulness and positive thought cards.
Final Thought
Worry doesn’t always look like worry. Sometimes it looks like silence. Sometimes it looks like shouting. But behind it is a child who needs understanding.
The Worry Story Sack is one way to meet that need with empathy, structure and calm.
If you would like to see our other story sacks you can read about them here
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